In recent years, the use of portable telephones with cameras has increased greatly, and there has been a demand for more features such as auto-focus and exposure adjustment capabilities. An example of a camera module 100 mounted in a portable telephone with a camera is shown in FIG. 7(a), (b), (c). An example of a module connector 110 that electrically connects the module 100 to a printed circuit substrate is shown in FIG. 8(a), (b).
More specifically, the camera module 100 is formed from a main camera module unit 101 and a lens section 102. A plurality of contact pads 103, 105 are arranged in left and right rows on the bottom surface of the main camera module unit 101.
The module connector 110 is formed in a box shape including a mounting cavity 111 that opens upward. On the upper surface of a bottom plate 112, a left and right row of contact holding grooves 113, 115 are formed parallel to each other, extending from about the center to the left and right inner side surfaces. Contact pins 116, 117 are installed in the contact holding grooves 113, 115.
When the camera module 100 is mounted in the mounting cavity 111, contact pads 103, 105 form elastic contacts with the contacts of the contact pins 116, 117. The camera image signal passes from the camera module 100 through the contact pads 103, 105 and is coupled by way of the contact pins 116, 117 to a printed circuit substrate (See JP Patent Publication No. 2004-63425).
FIG. 9 shows a camera module 200 with an auto-focus feature equipped with a module base 201 and a main module unit (also referred to as a barrel) 202 disposed on the module base 201. An IC (integrated circuit), and other components, is mounted on a substrate installed inside the module base 201. A camera and motor are installed inside the module base 201. Because there is a need for a compact design (e.g., an outer size of about 15 mm×15 mm×9 mm), motor signal terminals 203, 203 cannot be extended from the module base 201 used by the camera signal terminals (not shown in the figure). Instead the motor signal terminals are extended out from a side surface of the main module unit 202.
As a result, the motor signal terminals 203, 203 are connected to the printed circuit substrate independently and separately from the module connector by using wires or an FPC (flexible printed circuit substrate).
Disadvantageously, when the camera module with auto-focus feature shown in FIG. 9 is electrically connected to the printed circuit substrate, camera signals can be transmitted to the printed circuit substrate using the module connector, but motor signals must be connected to the printed circuit substrate independently and separately from the module connector using wires or an FPC. This leads to the necessity of wires or an FPC in addition to the module connector, and also requires the work of connecting to the motor signal terminals 203, 203 using solder or the like.
Missing from the art is a structure for connecting a camera module having an auto-focus feature to a module connector without the need for wires or a FPC to achieve the connection. The present invention can satisfy this and other needs.